Harry Howell was unquestionably one of the nicest, most genuinely humble men that I have ever met in my life.
I recall interviewing Howell in 2009, days after his No. 3 jersey was retired by the New York Rangers. It’s an honour that has been bestowed upon only 10 men in the history of the 93-year-old NHL franchise. In typical Howell fashion, the Hamilton native credited his coaches and teammates for helping him achieve the accolade.
The same scenario played out in 2014 when I spoke with him at the renaming ceremony of the North Wentworth Arena, now called Harry Howell Arena. He passed the credit onto others and was almost embarrassed to be the centre of all the attention and adoration.
Howell played in 1,411 NHL games, including a Rangers all-time record 1,160 games, missing only 17 contests over his first 16 seasons on Broadway, and was affectionately called Harry the Horse.
He won the Norris Trophy in 1966-67 as a stout, 34-year-old blueliner in the last year of the Original Six and one year before a 19-year-old Bobby Orr won it for a record eight consecutive seasons. Howell was a seven-time All-Star and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, along with Orr and Henri Richard, in 1979.
While he never got the chance play in the Stanley Cup final, Howell did win a ring as a scout with the Edmonton Oilers in 1990.
Howell certainly deserved the spotlight, but he wasn’t one of those professional athletes who craved it or sought it out.
Howell, who passed away Saturday at age 86, was the epitome of humility and class.
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